Claude Code for Non-Developers Training Course

Phase 1 — Introduction to Claude Code — 55 minutes

• Overview of Claude and how Claude Code differs from standard chat interfaces
• The Claude product suite: claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code (CLI), including their relationships
• Interface walkthrough: navigating the Claude app, initiating coding sessions, and understanding the workspace
• Claude Code’s logic: the describe → plan → act → review cycle
• Permission management: understanding why Claude requests approval before creating files or executing code
• Initial build: instructing Claude to create a simple styled webpage from a one-sentence description
• Refining outputs: instructions such as “enlarge the header,” “adjust the color scheme,” or “add a navigation bar”
• Guided exercise: Learners open the Claude app, start a Claude Code session, and build a personalized “About Me” webpage by describing their requirements in plain English. They practice refining results through follow-up instructions.

Objective: Ensure all participants are comfortable with the interface and have overcome the initial learning curve.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 2 — Creating Practical Solutions with Natural Language — 70 minutes

This segment forms the core of the morning session. Participants complete four progressively complex tasks using only natural language prompts.

• Task 1 — Interactive Dashboard: Instruct Claude Code to build a styled dashboard displaying sample data with charts, statistics, and a clean layout. Practice providing design direction: “use a dark theme,” “add a sidebar,” or “make it responsive.”
• Task 2 — Data Analysis: Provide a sample CSV file and request a data summary, trend identification, highest/lowest value detection, and visual chart generation. This demonstrates how Claude writes and executes code on your behalf.
• Task 3 — Document Generation: Ask Claude to read a data file and produce a formatted report, such as a sales summary, project status update, or meeting recap. This illustrates how Claude transforms raw data into polished deliverables.
• Task 4 — Automation Utility: Request Claude to build a simple utility like a unit converter, quiz app, or budget calculator. This introduces the concept of building interactive tools rather than just static pages.

Following each task, the instructor highlights Claude’s background actions: files created, code generated, and output interpretation. Participants document their most effective prompts in a shared Prompt Playbook.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 3 — Advanced Claude Code Techniques — 50 minutes

• Prompting best practices: specific versus vague instructions
• Live demonstration: side-by-side comparison of weak and strong prompts for the same task
• Iteration and refinement: requesting explanations of choices, undoing changes, or trying alternative approaches
• Handling uploaded files: tasks such as “read this document and summarize it” or “convert this spreadsheet into a chart”
• Multi-step workflows: chaining requests to build complex outputs (e.g., “analyze this data first, then build a dashboard from the results”)
• Cost and usage management: understanding tokens, context windows, and subscription tiers
• Choosing between Claude Code and standard Claude chat
• Guided exercise: Participants select one Phase 2 project and extend it with two new features using a multi-step prompt chain. They then compare their initial and refined prompts to identify key improvements.

Objective: Progress from basic functionality to consistent, high-quality results.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 4 — Collaborative Workflow Development: Live Build Session — 60 minutes

This phase shifts the group dynamic from individual practice to collaborative building. While the instructor facilitates, participants drive the content by identifying real problems from their roles, suggesting prompt ideas, and debating trade-offs. The aim is to learn prompt judgment by observing skilled navigation of uncertainty in real time.

The session is structured around three workflow archetypes:

• Transform — Convert input X to output Y (e.g., meeting notes → action items; raw data → summary email; customer feedback → themed report)
• Draft — Generate initial versions of documents typically written from scratch (e.g., proposals, emails, job descriptions, social media posts)
• Analyze — Review large documents or datasets that lack time for detailed reading (e.g., 40-page reports, survey spreadsheets, contracts)

Setup and Framing (10 min): The instructor introduces the three archetypes and explains the session format. Participants submit real workflow challenges from their jobs via a shared document or chat.

Live Build #1 — Transform Workflow (20 min): The instructor selects one submitted problem and builds it live while the room suggests prompt ideas, pushbacks, and refinements. The instructor narrates each decision. The session concludes with a working prompt template for the participant who submitted the problem.

Live Build #2 — Draft or Analyze Workflow (20 min): Following the same format, this segment focuses on a different archetype and a different participant’s problem.

Reflection and Share-Back (10 min): Participants write down one surprising prompting technique, one alternative approach they would try, and one key takeaway. A brief group share follows (3-4 participants), after which the instructor connects these observations to the broader Prompt Playbook.

Phase 5 — Integrating Claude with Tools via MCP — 50 minutes

• Overview of MCP (Model Context Protocol): The universal integration standard for AI tools
• The importance of MCP: Evolving Claude from a chat assistant into a connected workflow hub
• The Connectors Directory: Browsing and adding integrations directly within the Claude app
• Desktop Extensions: One-click installation options for Claude Desktop (no configuration files required)

Live Demonstration: The instructor connects Claude to two services via the Connectors UI and demonstrates cross-tool workflows:

1. “Check my Google Calendar for tomorrow’s meetings and draft a prep email for each.”
2. “Read the latest updates from our project board and write a status summary.”
3. “Pull data from this connected service and build a local report.”

Guided Exercise: Participants connect Claude to at least one service. Options are provided for varying comfort levels:

• Option A: Connect a pre-built connector from the directory (e.g., Gmail, Google Drive, or a demo service) — click, authenticate, and proceed
• Option B: Add a custom connector by pasting an MCP server URL (a test URL is provided by the instructor)
• Option C: Install a Desktop Extension from the marketplace (for Claude Desktop users)

Participants then assign Claude a task utilizing the connected service — for example, “Read my recent emails about project updates and create a summary document.”

Key concepts covered:

• Connector mechanics: OAuth authentication, permissions, and granted access
• Managing tool access: Enabling, disabling, and controlling which connectors Claude can use per conversation
• Security awareness: Connecting only to trusted services and reviewing tool permissions
• The MCP ecosystem: Locating new connectors, extensions, and community-built servers

Objective: Participants will view Claude as a connective layer between their existing services, not just a coding tool.

Break — 10 minutes

Phase 6 — Capstone Project & Future Steps — 65 minutes

Capstone Mini-Project (45 min): Each participant selects one scenario and builds it with Claude:

1. A polished landing page or portfolio site for their team, project, or personal brand
2. A data analysis pipeline: Upload a file, have Claude analyze it, and generate a visual report
3. An interactive tool solving a real workflow problem (calculator, tracker, converter, quiz)
4. A connected workflow: Pull data from a connected service, transform it, and produce a deliverable (e.g., “read my calendar for next week and build a visual schedule”)

The instructor circulates to help refine prompts and showcases standout examples to the group.

Showcase and Wrap-Up (20 min):

• 6-8 participants share their creations (2-3 minutes each)
• Future pathways: Claude Code CLI for terminal users, VS Code extension for developers, Cowork for knowledge workers
• The MCP ecosystem: Discovering and evaluating new connectors, extensions, and community servers
• Subscription plans: Free vs. Pro vs. Max — features unlocked and suitable use cases
• Best practices recap: Key Prompt Playbook patterns from the session
• Recommended resources: Official documentation, community channels, and Anthropic’s prompt engineering guide
• Participants receive a reference card containing key prompting patterns, connector setup steps, and a curated list of useful MCP integrations